Filed Under () by Admin Fan on Thursday, February 2, 2017

Adam Lambert
is headed out on the road—again. The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter
is set to tour North America this summer as the frontman of Queen
alongside the band’s surviving members Roger Taylor and Brian May.

It’s
far from the first time Lambert has taken the stage with the band, with
whom he’s been performing in varying capacities since he appeared on American Idol in
2009, but this North American arena tour may be their most ambitious
yet. For Lambert, the collaboration isn’t about an attempt to fill
Freddie Mercury’s shoes: “I’m not trying to replace him!” Lambert says.
“It’s very much a celebration of the legacy of the band. I’m a fan
that’s gotten this amazing opportunity to sing this music—to bring the
songs back to life.”

Lambert spoke with TIME about the dynamic with Queen, the sound of his new music and how things have changed for gay performers.

TIME: Did you have instant chemistry with the other guys in Queen?

Adam Lambert: It
was obvious to all three of us that this felt really natural. They
liked what I was doing musically. It just felt connected. Then things
snowballed. They said after that [American Idol] performance,
“Hey, we’re interested in doing something.” I said, “Yeah, me too, but
hold on a bit—let me get my album out.” Then one thing after another
happened.

What’s the demographic breakdown at these shows—is it primarily Queen loyalists, or your fans?

I
don’t know if I’d be able to break down the pie chart for you, but I
look into the audience and recognize fans that I’ve seen at my concerts.
Then I see a lot of dads—people that are old enough to be my parents.
Depending on where we are, there’s a lot of young people that come. At
first, I didn’t know how the diehard Queen fans were going to accept me.
That was intimidating. This is holy ground. But from the get-go, it was
a warm reception. Over the years, it gets easier and easier.